Château de Vincennes Priority Entrance Admission Ticket

About this tour

This admission ticket gets you into Château de Vincennes, the royal fortress just east of Paris that housed French kings for centuries before the court moved to Versailles. Your ticket covers the castle and all of its temporary exhibitions, and you enter through the priority entrance so you spend less time waiting. Inside you can climb the 52-metre keep, the tallest fortified tower in Europe, and see the surrounding grounds. It's an easy half-day trip, with its own Metro stop at the end of Line 1.

Highlights

• Climb the 52-metre medieval keep, the tallest fortified tower in Europe and the place where England's Henry V died
• Easiest of the royal chateaux to reach, with its own Metro stop (Château de Vincennes)
• Ticket covers the castle and all temporary exhibitions, entered across the moat by drawbridge
• See the Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes, begun under Charles V, with tall Gothic windows echoing the chapel on the Île de la Cité
• Walk among the 17th-century royal pavilions added under Louis XIV, who was born nearby and reigned here early on

Places You Will Visit

Included / Excluded

Visiting Château de Vincennes: Hours, Getting There and What to Expect

Your visit centers on the colossal keep, where you can climb through several floors of royal apartments, a private chapel and administrative rooms before reaching the rooftop and its views over the grounds. The former prison cells inside are a reminder of the castle's later life as a state prison, which once held figures like the Marquis de Sade and Diderot. Alongside the keep stand the Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes, with its Flamboyant Gothic stained glass, and the King's and Queen's Pavilions, the 17th-century classical additions that once housed the royal court. Allow roughly two to three hours to take in the keep, the chapel and the fortified courtyards and walls.

Getting there is simple. Take Metro Line 1 to its final stop, Château de Vincennes, and it's a 5 to 10 minute walk to the entrance; the RER A to Vincennes station also works. Hours shift by season, generally from 10:00 to 18:00 in the warmer months and 10:00 to 17:00 the rest of the year, with last entry around 30 to 45 minutes before closing and closures on some public holidays, so check the official site before you go. There's no dress code, but wear comfortable shoes for cobblestones and stairs and dress for the weather, since much of the visit is outdoors. The adjacent Bois de Vincennes, a large free park with lakes and walking paths, pairs well if you want to stretch the trip longer.

Weather in Paris

Today 57°F14°C 49°F10°C Rain 93%

Today 56°F14°C 49°F9°C Rain 100%

Tomorrow 63°F17°C 51°F10°C Rain 95%

Mon, Oct 26 60°F15°C 49°F10°C Rain 55%

Tue, Oct 27 65°F18°C 53°F12°C Rain 35%

Wed, Oct 28 60°F16°C 45°F7°C Rain 19%

Thu, Oct 29 60°F15°C 43°F6°C Rain 2%

Local time 12:37 PM, UTC+02:00

Available Days / Times

• Monday : All day
• Tuesday : All day
• Wednesday : All day
• Thursday : All day
• Friday : All day
• Saturday : All day
• Sunday : All day

Last updated: Oct 23, 2026